Extension
It Starts With Us
Developing Leadership, Life Skills, and Volunteer Skills
Leadership and Life Skill Development
Lisa Hagman, 4-H
Leadership
Volunteer Development
Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
Leadership is a needed and important programming emphasis in Kentucky 4-H. The Cooperative Extension Service provides opportunities for youth and families to help improve their leadership ability and create a positive impact on their future. Leadership opportunities for youth create a setting that reduces the access of youth to risk factors that can negatively impact their success.
Basic leadership knowledge & skills are essential for success in almost any field. The skills associated with leadership are necessary when working in a group or communicating with others. Employers look for leadership skills in future employees. Developing leadership in the youth and adults who are involved in the 4-H program is a priority. By assisting the development of leadership skills in today’s youth, we improve their ability to face the challenges of tomorrow (Unlock Your Leadership Potential, University of Florida, 2017).
Kentucky 4-H provides opportunities for youth to actively engage locally and globally to promote life skills [such as leadership] that prepare them for the global marketplace. Through 4-H youth exercise critical thinking skills, learn to appreciate diversity, practice tolerance, develop socio-emotionally, and strive to contribute to their environment (United States Department of Education International Affairs Office of International Strategy). 4-H participants rate their leadership life skills above average, have a positive view of their leadership ability, and have a positive attitude toward diversity and acceptance of others (Locke, Boyd, Fraze, and Howard, 2007).
Many leadership scholars and youth development professionals agree that leadership development is an important, but often overlooked facet of youth development and education (MacNeil,2000). The development of leadership contributes greatly to the positive development of young people and their
communities. Leadership skills, such as goal-setting, problem-solving and sound decision-making, are not just necessary for leaders -these skills are needed for success in today's world (MacNeil,2000).
Furthermore, helping young people develop leadership competencies makes them better able to solve community problems and enhances their civic participation (O'Brien & Kohlmeier, 2003). Young leaders also demonstrate higher career aspirations, increased self-esteem, and improved high school completion rates (Bloomberg, Ganey, Alba, Quintero, & Alcantara, 2003).
*Youth will serve as teen and adult leaders for local 4-H Clubs and 4-H camps and in their communities, community organizations, and as mentors for younger youth.
*Youth will be productive,contributing adults in the future.
- Communities are equipped with competent, effective leaders
- Community members engage others to initiate projects
- Civic engagement is possible and desirable for community members
- Communities become more prosperous
*Youth will demonstrate leadership, teamwork and communication skills in their day to day lives.
*Youth will utilize leadership skills learned during their time in 4-H in clubs, activities and other venues with 4-H and other community organizations.
*Senior 4-H members will become leaders or co-leaders of a 4-H project club, day camp, overnight, or other project based group of younger 4-H members.
*Youth will learn the communication, leadership and procedural skills that will allow them to run a meeting.
*Youth will increase their knowledge about leadership and how to be an effective leader, team player and communicator.
*Youth will learn about leadership styles and will be able to identify positive and negative leadership characteristics.
- Youth put skills into practice by becoming more engaged, taking on leadership roles
- You improve skills in communication or problem solving in addressing community issues and needs
- Youth participants become more engaged in non-formal leadership roles which increases involvement/action
- Youth participants initiate projects that meet the needs of their community
- Youth are inclusive of all individuals
- Youth will volunteer and participate in community service
- Youth will engage in civic involvement
- Youth will maintain future intentions for civic engagement
Initial Outcome: Youth will learn about leadership styles and will be able to identify positive and negative leadership characteristics.
Indicator: Youth will participate, discuss, and evaluate leadership styles.
Method: observation, discussion
Timeline: September 2021-April 2022
Intermediate Outcome: 4-H Teen Club members will utilize leadership skills in the 4-H Camp Setting.
Indicator: leadership skills displayed while working with younger 4-H members
Method: observation, self-evaluation
Timeline: June 2022
Long-term Outcome: 4-H youth will attend camp and serve as adult and teen counselors.
Indicator: Camp attendance
Method: observation
Timeline: June 2022
Audience: 4-H Camp Volunteer Adult and Teen Leaders
Project or Activity: 4-H Camp
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Camp Leader Training materials
Inputs: 4-H Camp, State 4-H Office
Date: June 2022
Audience: 4-H Campers
Project or Activity: 4-H Camp
Content or Curriculum: overnight camp
Inputs: 4-H Camp, State 4-H Office
Date: June 2022
Audience: 4-H Shooting Sports Certified Coaches
Project or Activity: Shooting Sports Practices and Competitions
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Shooting Sports Coaches' manual per each discipline
Inputs: State 4-H Office, County 4-H Council, Volunteer Coaches
Date: July 2021-June 2022
Audience: 4-H Members, Livestock Club Members, 4-H Rabbit Club Members, Afterschool Members
Project or Activity: Speeches/Demonstrations
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Communications Core Curriculum
Inputs: Hancock County Public Schools, Afterschool programs, Volunteer Leaders
Date: September 2021-April 2022
Audience: High School, Middle School, and Afterschool 4-H Club Members, Livestock Club, Rabbit Club, Cloverbud Club
Project or Activity: Leadership Skill Development, 4-H Summit, 4-H Teen Conference, Green River Area Teens, 4-H Teen Council
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Leadership Core Curriculum
Inputs: Hancock County Public Schools, State 4-H Office
Date: September 2021-May 2022
Audience: 4-H Culinary Arts Club
Project or Activity: cooking and nutrition
Content or Curriculum: Family and Consumer Sciences and Health Core Curriculum
Inputs: Hancock County Middle School, Hancock County High School, Youth Service Center, Community Education
Date: Spring 2022
Audience: Homemaker Club members
Project or Activity: Homemaker Leader Trainings
Content or Curriculum: Homemaker Leader Training
Inputs: Green River FCS Agents
Date: October 2021-May 2022
Audience: All 8th and 10th Grade Students
Project or Activity: 4-H Reality Store
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences Core Curriculum
Inputs: Hancock County Middle and High Schools, Youth Services Center and numerous community volunteers
Date: October 2021
Audience: 4-H Livestock Club Members
Project or Activity: Speech/Demonstration and Record Book
Content or Curriculum: Speak Up publication, How to Give a 4-H Demonstration publication, and the Hancock County 4-H Livestock Record Book
Inputs: Hancock County 4-H Livestock Club leader, Hancock County Fairboard, 4-H Volunteer Leader
Date: July 2021-June 2022
Audience: 4-H Cloverbud Club
Project or Activity: 4-H Public Speaking
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Communication Curriculum
Input: Volunteer Leader
Date: November 2021
Audience: 4-H Rabbit Club
Project or Activity: Parliamentary Procedure
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Leadership Curriculum
Input: Volunteer Leader
Date: September 2021-June 2022
Audience: 8th-12th Grade Students-4-H Teen Club members
Project or Activity: Green River Area 4-H Teen Leadership Academy
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Leadership
Input: 4-H Agents, State 4-H Office, 4-H Camp, 4-H core curriculum areas, etc.
Date: September 2021-April 2022
Audience: 8th-12th Grade Students-4-H Teen Club members
Project or Activity: 4-H Teen Conference
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Leadership
Input: State 4-H Office
Date: throughout year
Author: Lisa Hagman
Major Program: Agriculture
Hancock County 4-H focuses its Positive Youth Development programming in alignment with KY 4-H in believing all youth should have opportunities for positive youth development in our four guiding concepts: mastery, belonging, independence, and generosity. The 4-H Rabbit program fosters mastery by learning about raising, breeding, and marketing rabbits, belonging by interacting and connecting with adults and youth with similar interests, independence by demonstrating responsible rabbit
Author: Lisa Hagman
Major Program: Leadership
4-H believes in the power of young people. 4-H sees that every child has valuable strengths and real influence to improve the world around them. 4-H is America’s largest youth development organization—empowering nearly six million young people across the U.S. with the skills to lead for a lifetime. You in 4-H complete hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and citizenship, in a positive environment where they receive guidance from adult mentors and are encourage
Author: Lisa Hagman
Major Program: Science, Engineering, and Technology
Science, engineering, and technology permeate nearly every facet of modern life and hold the key to solving many of humanity's most pressing current and future challenges. The United States' position in the global economy is declining, in part because U.S. workers lack fundamental knowledge in these fields. (www.nationalacademies.org) Studies have also shown that interest in science begins to decline in Middle School. In order to address this need, Hancock County 4-H worked i
Author: Lisa Hagman
Major Program: Leadership
Kentucky 4-H is grounded in Positive Youth Development. One important focus is working with, high school student to develop and guide them in a variety of settings to help them develop their leadership and life skills and then providing opportunities for them to lead. For this reason UK Cooperative Extension 4-H programs from Hancock, Webster, Union, Ohio, and Henderson Counties partnered to provide a 4-H Teen Leadership Academy (TLA) for 8th-11th grade members. The Academy met monthly throughou
Author: Lisa Hagman
Major Program: Leadership
According to research, middle school is a time where young people find their place in this world, they are exploring where their strengths and interests align (Fagell. P.L., 2019). Therefore, it is impreative to provide positive experiences where young people may explore the world in a safe environment. Historically, there is a decline in enrollment numbers throughout the middle school years in 4-H programming, Kentucky 4-H hosts the Kentucky 4-H Summit Leadership Conference for middle schoolers
